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Screw in the light bulb, pat the goat


Basmati Blues.  A ridiculous indie musical.   On many fronts.  The director, one Danny Baron also agrees in an offbeat interview.  Lot about this film is whacky.

For starters it stars Oscar winner Brie Larson.  With Donald Sutherland who actually sings in the movie.  What the f? 

Imagine a cross between Roja and La La land except the result is wretched.  Then there is a motley crew of random erstwhile catwalk models both male and female, some of Indian origin, along with a set of motley desi actors who on occasion pop up in an English language film.

There is a smattering of Kishore Kumar songs in the background as part of the thematic score including 'Ina Mina Diga'... but the songs appear out of place given the setting is the western coastal state of Kerala where the film is shot.

The film is about rice farming but made by Americans who end up stereotyping a whole set of ideas about India for which it was soundly criticized.

One of the hilarious moment in the film though is where the male protagonist explains to Larson's character the way to do Bollywood dance - make the motion as if you are going to 'screw in the light bulb with one hand, pat the goat with the other.'

The entire cast seems to act in a very formal manner and dialog comes across as forced.  Not sure why there were strange references to Vonnegut or when the bullock cart that carries some of the film stars is pulled by a pair of bulls named Freud and Jung.

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